Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955) - full transcript

Cattle ranchers "Chalk" Reynolds and Walt Payne have driven most of the small ranchers from the government range in the Ruby Hills country, and are fighting between them to get sole control. Reynold's chief gunman is Frank Emmett and Payne's hired gun is Jack Voyle, and both are described as ruthless killers. Into the valley rides Ross Haney who has just bought the water rights to the range, a legal step that Reynolds and Payne over-looked. Haney soon learns that a third faction is also out to control the valley; the Double V Ranch, owned by Robert Vernon and his sister Sherry. The latter falls in love with Haney, and is by his side when he is engaged in a showdown with all the other factions.

- Ben should have
been back hours ago.

Hope he didn't have any trouble
filing those papers.

- Not as much trouble
as we'll have

when we ride into Soledad.

[ footsteps ]

- Be quiet.

I hear something.

- Must be getting old.

I didn't hear nothing.

- That you, Ben?

- Yeah.



- Did you file the title

with the Huntingdon County
recorder?

- Yeah.

- See any of Payne's men?

- No.

- Reynolds' men?

- Yeah.

Frank Emmett.

- Frank Emmett.

- Soledad's full
of Frank Emmetts.

I guess we'll be riding
into Soledad without Ben.

- So we can get shot
in the back like he was?

- You and Ben
have talked for five years

of starting a spread in Soledad.



You two have lived
and breathed that town.

You gonna give up
a five-year dream?

- That dream
turned into a nightmare for Ben.

- Now that Ben's dead,

you'll own all that land
around Thousand Springs.

- Land
doesn't do you much good

if you're six feet under it.

- You've got
to stop running.

- You haven't stopped,
have you?

- I've known you
25 years, Tom,

and you've never lied to me.

I'll believe your story
about Ben Carter,

but I want you
to stay out of town.

Your kind ain't wanted here.

And I'm forgetting
you're Drew Haney's boy.

- Does that sign
my death warrant

in your county, Marshal?

- I wasn't thinking
of that.

We can choose
a lot of things in life,

but we can't pick our parents.

- Just a minute, Marshal.

- One nice thing
about this country--

a man doesn't have to live

in the shadow
of his father's reputation,

unless he wants to.

- What are you getting at?

- I haven't got any
wanted poster on you yet, Haney.

But with the company
you're keeping,

it won't be too long.

- A man chooses
his own company.

There's no law against that.

- If there was, he
wouldn't be wearing that star,

not with the kind
of company he's kept.

- Well, there's no sense
of digging up the past, Tom.

I'm not proud of it.

Where are you two headed?

- Soledad, maybe.

- Oh, if you
went there, Tom,

you'd be in your own company.

I don't know about Haney.

Tom, you and I
have outlived our time.

The rule of the quickest gun
is on the way out.

Your friend Hull
is a relic of the wilder west.

He walks among ghosts,
same as me.

When you pass through Silvertown
on your way to Soledad,

you'll see what I mean.

- What are you
preaching about, Garvey?

Maybe you forgot. You and me
started out the same way.

- But after 25 years,
I've got this.

What have you got?

And what's he gonna have?

- That all?

- Yeah.

That's all.

Sorry, Tom.

- Yep, your father and me
murdered this town.

And other men like us--

gunfighters, killers,
men who hated the law.

Yep, it ain't hard
for evil to kill a town.

Your pappy and me proved that.

Do you want to see this happen
to a town like Soledad?

This is where you and me
are splitting up.

No sense in looking at me
like that.

You ain't gonna
change my mind none.

I already made it up.

- You mean
your friend Marshal Garvey

made it up for you.

- So what if he did?

He's right, isn't he?

Not much of a monument
to a man's life, is it?

- You're gonna
stay here?

You're not coming with me?

- Yeah,
if you go into Soledad,

you'll have trouble enough.

If some of those gun-happy
drifters saw me,

they'd try to build themselves
into big men

by weighing me down with lead.

Yep, the odds will be
heavy enough against you.

I'd only make it worse.

I'm going in to see
some old friends.

Can't hardly read it no more.

[ horse neighs ]

- Hey, boy.

[ leaves rustling ]

The water warm or cold?

- Now that
you've looked me over,

would you like
to examine my teeth for age?

- I don't have to.
I know how old you are.

- Oh? You know my name, too,
I suppose?

- Sherry Vernon.

You've been in Soledad
for some time.

Got a brother named Bob.

You both came into
the Ruby Hills Valley

and took over
the old V.W. Ranch.

- Who are you?

- Ross Haney.

- How come you know
so much about me?

- I know something about
almost everybody in Soledad.

- You planning
to stay here?

- Yeah, I am.

- Well, if you're
as frank with everyone here,

you'll make a lot of enemies.

- I made 'em
before I came here, Miss Vernon.

If I stand too hard,

it's just because
I'm a hard man to please

about horses and women.

- I'd say your judgment
of horses isn't so good,

by the looks of that one.

- Rio's all right.

He can outrun this beauty
of yours from here to Soledad.

- Flame's the fastest
horse in this country.

- It's a fine horse.

And I'll bet you my saddle
against $100

that Rio can throw
dirt in his face

between here
and the hotel at Soledad.

- Saddle's not worth 100.

What else have you got?

- I'm betting the saddle.

- All right.
The saddle.

- Whoa, there. Halt.

- You cut across the bend.

- You left me
standing still.

You took a running start.

- I thought
you wanted a fair race.

- Lady, you must come
from a long line of sportsmen.

Forget the bet.

- That horse for sale?

- No, he's not...Payne.

- You got the advantage.

You know my name,
but I don't know yours.

- No?

- Looking for a job?

I could use an extra hand
over at the Box Inn.

- Cowhand or gunhand?

- Got to be both
in this valley.

- I'm not.

Guess that lets me out of a job.

- Man usually carries
the tools of his trade.

You ain't carrying any rope
on that horse.

- That's right.

- I'll give you double
what Reynolds is paying you.

- How do you know
Reynolds is paying me?

- Isn't he?

- Maybe. Maybe not.

- Join up with Reynolds,
you'll be bucking Jack Voyle.

He's one of my men.

- Voyle the best you got?

- You want to face him?

- You can't face him.

He always waits until
your back is turned.

- Right now,
I could cut you in two, Haney.

- I won one bet today.

I feel lucky enough
to make another.

- Don't crowd your luck.

- You draw, and I'm betting
I'd take you with me.

- Forget it, Voyle.

When I want a killing,
I'll tell you.

You know him?

- Yeah.

He built up a big reputation
around El Paso.

- How come
you hire men like him?

- Private war
between me and Reynolds.

- Yeah? Who's Reynolds got?

- Frank Emmett.

- Might not have him long.

Somebody's liable to kill him.

- That job could
get a man an even $1,000.

- He's not worth $1,000.

[ bell dings ]

- This confounded plate.
Never did fit.

If I ever see that Dodge City
dentist again, I'm gonna...

Room?

- Best you got.

- Take your pick.
They're all bad.

15's as bad as any.

- Food about the same?

- Yep. Oh, but the waitress
takes the edge off of it.

[ chuckles ]

Prettiest in the west. Yep.

If you can't write,
just put your "X" in.

It's the law.

- Didn't know this town
had any laws.

- Well, there ain't.

But there may be someday,

and I want to have everything
real legal-like.

- You're Scotty,
aren't you?

I've got some regards for you
from a friend of yours,

used to ride for you.

- My trail days are over.

"Ross Haney.

El Paso."

[ chuckles ]

Funny things about a name,
a town.

You know, you just
might not be Ross Haney.

And you just might not be
from El Paso.

Fact of the matter is,
you might be from Rio Grande

or Fort Sumter
or Cheyenne, even.

People are funny, ain't they?

You know, I've only had about
three close friends in my day.

- Well, who were they?

- Two guns and a horse.

- How about Ben Carter?

- Well, how is Ben?

- He's dead.

Murdered.

- Huh.

Will you have, uh...
will you have a cup of coffee?

I make it myself.

- Yeah.

- Sit down.

How did it happen?

- Reynolds'
head gunslinger shot him.

- Frank Emmett, huh?

- Yeah. Shot him in the back.

- Emmett might not
be in town now.

- I can wait.

- You want some advice,
Haney?

- Breeze out of Soledad,
is that it?

- Forget about Ben.

Just get out.

- I'm favoring
on settling here.

- This town is gonna
bust wide open.

And there's gonna be blood
pouring all through this valley.

- The man left standing
in it's gonna be top man.

Did you ever see a ghost town,
Scotty?

- [ chuckles ]
I help make 'em.

- Ben and I have watched
this valley and this town

for five years.

We figured on moving in,

building this town,
building ourselves, too.

I don't figure it ought to be
another ghost town, Scotty.

- So you want to be
the ghost, huh?

Well, Payne and Reynolds and
his gang will accommodate you

if you start stepping on 'em.

- I know how
they got their spreads.

- A man don't talk
about that here

if he wants to live.

Payne and Reynolds run all the
little fellas off of the range.

And they kept 'em off with lead.

What do you aim to use
for ammunition?

- Water.

Ben and I filed claim
on Thousand Springs.

- You what?!

- We filed claim
on Thousand Springs.

Payne and Reynolds

own more than half of
this valley illegally, Scotty.

- You know too much.

- We made it our business
to know.

Just like a general studies
his terrain before the attack,

I know this land
like a picture map

and everybody who lives on it.

- Thousand Springs
is the main source of water

for this valley.

- I know that.
And I own it.

- That's what the battle
started about.

You know, you could control
this valley,

you and, uh...
whoever owns Histon Springs.

- You own it.

- Me?

- You.

- You want some more coffee?

- No. I want the title
to Histon Springs.

- Title?

- The title.

- Nobody around here
knows that I own it.

- I'll keep your secret.
But I want that title.

- You're writing
your own death notice.

- I'll give you my note
for $5,000.

- You've got
a lot of nerve, Haney.

I hope you've got the brains
and the gun-savvy

to see it through.

Because when they find out that
you own the Ruby Hills water,

they're gonna kill you.

Write this down.

March 18, 1877.

For title to Histon Springs,

I agree to pay
Westbrook Scott--

That's me.
[ chuckles ]

The sum of $1.00...

and the fun of watching
what's gonna happen.

[ up-tempo piano music playing ]

- Your special.

I'm looking for a guy
named Frank Emmett.

- Dollar's for the drink,
not information.

- Raleigh Burt's my name.

It's none of my business,

but I'd leave Emmett alone
if I were you.

Mister, you mix up
in the Payne-Reynolds feud,

you've got trouble.

- You sound
a little prejudiced.

What side are you on?

- I'm not on any side.

I'm on a payroll.

- Which one?

- Reynolds at the moment.

Which side are you working on?

- Neither.

- Be interesting to see
how you come out.

- Haney?

- I'm Haney.

- My sister's outside.
She wants to talk to you.

- You found me.
So can she.

- Ladies
don't come into saloons.

- Ladies pay their bets.

- You heard me.

My sister wants to see you.

- [ grunts ]

[ piano stops ]

[ piano resumes ]

You wanted to see me?

- I'm sorry
for the way I acted.

- I'm sorry, too.

- I heard about your
run-in with Jack Voyle.

He's a dangerous man.

- He is.

- You didn't back down
to Voyle,

yet you did a minute ago
to my brother.

Thank you, Haney.

That's two debts
I have to pay you.

- Two debts?

- That's the first one,
your $100.

I don't know how
to pay you the other.

- Now you've paid me.

- Scotty, I heard
Miss Vernon's in town.

Have you seen her?

- I did. She just walked
down the street.

- Thanks.

- Who's that
happy-looking pilgrim?

- Alan Doran.

He's engaged to Miss Vernon.

- Oh? How long
has he been in Soledad?

- Oh, 'bout three months,
I guess.

He works for the Vernons,
foreman.

- A foreman?

- First foreman I ever see

without any calluses
on his hands.

- [ chuckles ]

- Here.

[ crickets chirping ]

- Emmett.

- What are you doing
in Arlington, Voyle?

- I was sent to get you.

Doran heard about
the Carter killing.

- A lot of people
heard about it.

- He wants to see you. Now.

- About Carter?

- Says he didn't order
the killing.

- Maybe there's too many bosses
in the Ruby Hills.

- There'll only be one
soon--Doran.

And he's waiting.

- I didn't order
that Carter killing.

Who did?

- Reynolds.

- What for?

- For 1,000 bucks.

- I got you that job
with Reynolds

for one reason--
so I'd know what was going on.

- Reynolds wanted him killed.

Maybe I wouldn't
be on his payroll

if I didn't follow his orders--
and then you wouldn't

be getting the information
you wanted.

- Look...

if Reynolds wanted Carter
killed, there was a reason.

And if that reason interferes
with my plans,

you won't be on
anybody's payroll.

What do you know about a man
named Ross Haney?

- Nothing.

Heard the name someplace.
That's all.

Why?

- He's in Soledad,
looking for you.

Says you killed a friend of his.

- I don't know.

I've killed
a lot of people's friends.

- I'll take care of Haney--
for nothing.

- That's why
you ain't a success.

You work too cheap.

- Haney's just a gunslinger
looking for trouble.

I know his kind.
He'll move on.

- Yeah?
What if he doesn't?

- Then he'll find trouble--
plenty of it.

- Is that all you
called this meeting for?

- No. Payne and Reynolds
are about to have a showdown.

It's liable to happen
any minute.

We're gonna see that it does.

- Oh, ho-ho.

Well, I haven't seen you
in a couple days.

I thought maybe I'd lost
my investment in you.

- Let's go in and see
if that waitress

is as pretty
as you say she is.

- Well, you won't
think so now.

- No? Why not?

- Well, you've seen
Sherry Vernon.

And after her, all women
look washed out--

that is,
until you forget her.

- I don't plan to.

- May.

You know,
you've got a fine order

cut out for yourself, Haney.

Sherry Vernon is always pleasant
but never familiar.

- Well, this is different.
I'm gonna marry her.

- May, I want you to meet,
uh, Ross Haney.

- You were right, Scotty.

- He says he's gonna
marry Sherry Vernon.

- Isn't everybody?

- No. Just me.

- You know, Scotty,

I think he might.

- We'll have a couple
of steaks and some coffee.

Well, I think you convinced her.

Now if you can do as well
with Sherry Vernon,

you got yourself a deal.

It ain't the food
that keeps this place open.

It's May.

- I'll get some coffee.

- You know, my upper plate
ain't gonna like this.

But I've got tired
of humoring it.

- I rode out
to Thousand Springs today,

and then I rode up on the mesa,
back of the Springs.

- What did you find
on the top?

- Cabin that had been
built there some years back.

- You can hold an army off
with that,

if a man wanted to.

- That's right.

[ crickets chirping ]

- May, bring me
some bread and milk.

It always ends up this way.

What can I do for you,
Mr. Reynolds?

- Not you, him.

I got a job for you, Haney.

$100 a month and your keep.

- I got a job.

- Working for Payne?

- Not working for him.

Not working for you.

I'm my own man.

- When you're in Ruby Hills,

you either work for me
or you're against me.

That makes you my enemy.

- Seems to me you got enough
enemies and deserve 'em.

- You mind telling me why,
Haney?

- I'd be glad to.

You came west from Missouri,

started selling guns
to the Indians.

- That's a lie, Haney.

- Don't make me kill you.

Go ahead, Reynolds.

You might make it.

Now you can hear
what I've got to say

much better
right where you are.

So when you sold out
the white settlers,

you met up with Ben Carter's
father in Julesburg.

He wanted to form a partnership
with you and work this valley.

- That's none of your concern.

It pays a man
to keep his mouth shut.

In fact, it might pay double
what I figure to work for me.

- To murder?

Like you did your partner?

You and he worked hard,
didn't you--

planting trees,
building a ranch house.

And then somehow you ran into
a bunch of Comanches

and your partner
was shot in the back.

Comanches, Reynolds?

Or was it that white Indian
riding behind you?

I'll tell you something else.

I'm here in the Ruby Hills
to stay.

And you can tell Frank Emmett
when he rides into this town

that he can sell his saddle.

'Cause the next trip he makes
is not gonna be on horseback.

[ door closes ]

- [ chuckles ]

You know, I'm getting a lot more
than my $1.00's worth.

- That's right.

I saw the whole thing
from that window up there.

- Has Reynolds heard
about this yet?

- No, but when he does
come in town,

he'll be looking for Payne.

- And when they find each other,

this town
won't be worth living in.

- I'll tell you all one thing
right now.

Andy Fielding and I
are moving out of this town

as fast as we can
get the children packed.

We've had enough of this.

- Reynolds in town?

- Not yet.

From what I hear,
he'll be in soon.

- You've made an impression
on everyone in Soledad,

one way or the other.

Don't you ever
get through examining?

- I was told
you were a staked claim.

I don't see any sign
of the title.

When a woman's engaged,
she usually wears her proof,

if she's proud of it.

- You always say what's
on your mind, don't you?

- I like for people
to know where I stand.

- Where do you stand?

- What do you mean?

- Raleigh Burt
was shot this afternoon.

Two of Payne's men jumped him.

He killed one.

- That's not my problem.

That's a job for the law.

- Well, the last sheriff we had
rode out of town,

never came back.

- Town's in pretty bad
shape without the law.

How does Burt's shooting
concern you?

- Burt's a good man,

even though he works
for Reynolds.

- He is?

I thought you said he was shot?

- Wounded.
He's still in town, I hear.

I also hear that Payne's men
will be in town to find him.

- You hear a lot, don't you?

- Good night.
- Good night.

What's she doing in town?

- I sent for her.

- But she wouldn't
help Burt, huh?

- How do you know that?

- Because now you're about
to ask me to help him.

Why didn't you take him
to her place?

- Because she said
the Vernon Ranch

was the worst place
you could take him.

- Is he hurt bad?

- He can ride, if we
can get him out of here.

He's in the cellar.

- You mean here?

- You know, Haney,

there's not many good men
in this town.

And Raleigh Burt is one of 'em,

even though he's on the payroll
of Reynolds.

And one of these days, you're
gonna need a lot of good men.

- You're a fool, Scotty.
You're declaring yourself.

- Sherry said if anybody
could get him out of town,

you could.

- She said that, huh?

I could take him to my cabin.

- May.

Haney's gonna get Burt
out of town.

- Where's his horse?

- Stable behind my place.

How we gonna get him
to the stable?

- I'll take care of that.
You get him out of the cellar.

We'll stall Payne.

- I'm looking for Burt,
Scotty.

He's in town.

He killed one of my men.

- Way I heard it, Burt
was jumped--two to one.

Looks like he's a pretty good
man to have come out alive.

- Now, what part
have you got in this, Haney?

- Just curious.

- You're too curious.

This ain't
none of your business.

- If you want to take
this boy home with you,

you better tell him
to keep his mouth shut.

- Ah, forget it, Voyle.

Get to looking for Burt--
in the kitchen, in the cellar.

- I can save you
a lot of trouble.

Burt's not here.

- Well, we'll just make
real sure of that.

Go on.

- Hey, Voyle.

Maybe Doran can help you
if you need another hand.

- Thank you.

- What did you mean
by that last remark?

Doran doesn't work for me
or Reynolds.

- Maybe he works for himself.

- I don't follow you.

- Ask Voyle.
Maybe he's got the answers.

- Get to the point.

- You wouldn't, by any chance,

be paying Voyle to ride
with Bob Vernon and Doran,

now, would you?

- I want to take a look
in the office, Scotty.

- Nobody there.

[ door opens, closes ]

- Get him out all right?

- Yes, but he can't get far.
He's lost a lot of blood.

- Where's he hit?
- In the shoulder.

He's in back of the hotel
behind the broken fence.

[ crickets chirping ]

- Burt.

Burt, it's Haney.

- Hold it.

- Take it easy.

May told me.

Can you walk?

- I don't know.

I can try.

- Stay here.
I'll see what our chances are.

- He might be in the alley.
Help me over here.

- Yeah.

[ hooves clopping ]

- Where you going?
- After Burt.

- Then we'll both go.
There's a reward out for him.

- Payne told you to stay here
and watch for Reynolds.

- Then we'll both stay.

- Hey, Payne!

Payne!

Payne, Payne!

- Yeah, what is it?

- Reynolds and his men.

- They're riding into town.

- I'll be ready for 'em.

- What about Raleigh Burt?

- Well, forget him for now.

- $100 for every
dead Reynolds man.

And $1,000 for Reynolds himself.

Pass the word along.

- I'm gonna crawl out of here
and try to get us a horse.

I think we've got a chance now.

Stay here and be ready.

- String out along the street
and follow me.

- Come on, men.

- Payne?

Payne?

It's Reynolds.

Payne...

I hear you're looking
for one of my men.

Come on out,
and we'll talk it over.

- Here I am, Reynolds.

Burt's in town.

He's hiding out, and I want him.

Now, you go on back home
and let me find him,

we'll consider
the matter settled.

If you don't, you and me can
have it out right here and now.

Now, which way do you want it?

- I'm ready to talk.

- He's backing down.

Voyle!
[ gunshot ]

[ gunfire ]

- Hold it, men! Hold it!

[ gunshot ]

Hold it!

Come on over here!
I want to talk to you.

Now, listen to me.

This feud's been going on for
a long time, and now it's over.

Payne and Reynolds are dead.

There's no point
in getting yourself killed.

You're not getting paid for it.

Now, I can sign you on.

I'm making up a new payroll.

And the drinks are on me.

First come, first signed.

[ indistinct conversations ]

- I'll take care
of Payne and Reynolds.

Hey, Doug, Charlie,
give me a hand.

All right, men.
Pick him up.

- May, you're a fool.

Don't go out there.

- I have to find Haney.

- If you go out there,
somebody will stop you.

- I'll tell 'em
I'm on my way home.

- Now, listen--

- Well, a girl
can go home, can't she?

- Stupid...

- Burt? Haney?

- Get back
to the restaurant, May.

- Where are you, Haney?

- Here, here.

- Shh, he saw me.

- May!

May...

Who were you talking to?

Haney, Burt, who?

- Let me go.

- Now we're in for it.

They'll be swarming out
of that saloon like rats.

- Where did the shot come from?

- Didn't come from up there.

- You couldn't tell.
Take a look around.

- Ah, could have been
some crazy galoot.

- May...

- It's Haney.

We've got to keep 'em
out of this alley.

String along with me,
will you, Scotty?

- Come on.

- Give me your arm.

- May and Scotty
are trying to stall 'em.

Maybe we can get
a couple of horses now.

- [ panting ] There are
two men fighting in the alley.

I'm not sure--

- Go on, go on.
Who was it? Where?

- In the alley
between the buildings.

- I heard the shot.
May was on her way home.

- Shut up, Scotty,
and let her tell it.

Who was it?

Was it Haney?
Could you tell?

- I-I couldn't see.

- You men,
go search the alley.

Now, go ahead.
What did you see?

- Well, it was too dark
for me to see anything, but...

- Search the alley.
- I'll take that way.

- If you see 'em,
give a holler.

[ indistinct shouting ]

Some of you, go that way.

- Nothing down this way
over here.

- Or back here.

- Let's get out.

- Nobody back there.

- We couldn't find anybody
in the alley, boss.

- We'll keep on looking.

- Well...
you don't seem to be very sure

about what you saw, do you?

- Well, I-I'm not.
I'm not!

- Now, don't worry about it.

It will be all right, May.

- Coffee?

- Thanks.

- How's the shoulder?

- Better.

All I worry about now
is my neck.

- Well, we're both
big boys, dad.

You don't have
to worry about that.

You served your purpose.

You were used
to set off the explosion.

How did you happen to walk into
that setup yesterday?

- Well, I met Bob Vernon.

He told me there was a message
for me over at the hotel.

When I started over there,

a couple of Payne's men
jumped me.

- Vernon got his orders
from Doran.

Doran staged that bloodbath
in town last night,

sat on the sidelines
and watched,

and then moved in
and took over.

I knew about
both Payne and Reynolds

before I came to Soledad,

but I didn't know
about Doran.

- Nobody did.

He's practically a stranger
around here.

- I wonder who else he's used.

- Doran and Vernon's sister
were supposed to get married.

- Yeah.

I know.

- How friendly you think
that makes them?

- [ sighs ]
There's one way to find out.

Ask.

- What do you want here, Haney?

- Are you working for Doran
or is Doran working for you?

- I don't know what
you're talking about.

- You helped set up

the Payne-Reynolds killings,
didn't you?

- I wasn't even in town.

- You sent Raleigh Burt
to pick up a message.

- Payne and Reynolds

were bound to kill themselves
sooner or later.

- Why did you help
make it sooner?

- That kind of question's

gonna buy you
the same answer that Burt got.

- Morning, Haney.

- Good morning.

- Your fighting hours
start early.

- I find I have to get up
pretty early in this town

to stay alive.

- Must have been
a pretty rough night in Soledad.

- It was.

Now I see why you didn't want
Raleigh Burt out here.

- That's right.

We didn't want that kind
of action around the house.

- But you do like
having Doran around.

- Doran's my foreman.

- He was your foreman.

Last night's killings
got him his promotion.

Now you're not marrying
the foreman.

You're marrying the boss.

- There are a lot of things
you don't understand.

And a lot I don't.

- Why you so interested
in everybody and in everything?

- I'm figuring on
settling down here.

- Well, now that
the town's cleaned up,

do you think they'll stand
for the son of an outlaw?

- I've owed him that

ever since the day
I first met him.

You tell him he was right.

My father was an outlaw.

Or maybe you already knew that.

So I have to be like my father.

You have to be like
your brother.

I've made up my mind.

Now you make up yours.

- What happened to him?

- He spoke out of turn.

- I just saw Haney leave here.

Did they fight?

- You can call it that.

It was short.

- What's bothering you?

- I heard about last night.

- I've got a lot
of explaining to do.

- You could never explain.

- What's Haney
been telling you?

- Nothing.

- Then he probably
didn't tell you

that he's gonna
hang for murder,

along with Raleigh Burt.

- And Frank Emmett?

- And several others.

I doubt that Haney
will be easy to find

when he learns that
I've sent for the Marshal.

- You sent for the Marshal?

- He's coming in
from Arlington today.

I want to make Soledad
a safe place to live.

- Somehow, I never thought

you would be concerned
in saving a town.

- Why do you think
I came here?

- I know why you came here--

first to blackmail us
and then to take over my ranch.

You came here to save Soledad
for yourself.

- I saved your brother.

- My brother isn't worth saving.

And neither are you.

- Vernon.

You heard all this?

- You sent for the Marshal.
[ chuckles ]

That's pretty funny.

- I did send for the Marshal.

- Now you wish you hadn't?

- There's a rope in Ju?rez
waiting for you.

- I know all that.

- I'm taking the men
to Silvertown.

- The old--the old ghost town?

- Yes. Can't operate here.

- On account of Haney.

Nothing must happen to him here,
I can see that.

- I'm bringing
Frank Emmett back.

We'll wait in Silvertown.

- I'll go with you?

- No.

You stay right here.

You got a job to do.

When you do it,
then you come to Silvertown.

- Hi, May.
Where's Scotty?

- He's been in and out all day.

- Well, I'll wait.

- If you want coffee,
this is the place.

If you want trouble,
you better try the saloon.

That's where Frank Emmett is.

- I'll have coffee now,
half a cup.

- How's Raleigh?

- Coming along.

- Quite a bit of celebrating
going on down the way.

Something's going on,
something bad.

Folks are still leaving town.

Pretty soon, there
won't be anybody left

except Doran
and his hired gunmen.

- And then they'll still
just start it all over again.

- And who's going
to stop them?

- Thanks for the coffee, May.

- Ross...
I've been watching Emmett.

- Still in the saloon?

- He's sitting there,
watching them batwing doors.

He wouldn't have a chance
to get through 'em.

[ footsteps approaching ]

- Drink...

Then draw.

[ gunshots ]

[ horse neighs ]

Where's Burt?

- He said he'd be back
after a while.

- How did you know
how to find me?

- You can find anything
if you want it bad enough.

You taught me that.

- What do you want?

- You.

- What about Doran
and your brother?

- They're not important now.

It took me a long time
to make up my mind

about a lot of things.

I know now
what my brother really is.

- Doran?

- Does my being here
answer that?

- You made your decision.

- No matter what happens,
I want to be with you.

- Come here.

- So...I'm leaving.

- You can tell Doran
he'll have one less man

to hang now
when the Marshal gets here--

Frank Emmett.

- I'm not gonna
tell him anything.

I'm through with Doran.

- I don't believe you.

- I didn't expect you to.

- Must be some reason.

'Fraid of him?

- Maybe. Maybe not.

- Haney isn't.

- He should be.

- Why?

- I know you don't
think much of me.

That's not important anymore.

- What is important?

- Someday
I'm gonna prove to you

that you're wrong
about a lot of things.

- Such as?

- Such as your not believing
I'm through with Doran.

- Go on.

- Doran's not gonna
stop at anything

to take over Soledad
and everybody in it.

Haney won't be
the only one killed.

Anybody else that stands
in his way will be killed, too.

You're right.

I am afraid of Doran.

If I wasn't,
I could stop him right now.

- How could you stop him?

- Doran's meeting his men
in the old ghost town

between here and Arlington.

They're gonna ride back
this way, and when they do,

there won't be anything
left in their path.

So I'm leaving.

I don't know what you're
gonna do, but if I were you,

I just wouldn't
sit around here and wait.

Bye.

- She believe you?

- She believed me.

So will Haney
when she tells him.

[ horses galloping ]

- Ross!

- I told you
to stay in Soledad.

- Is it safer there?

- I don't know, Sherry.
I don't know.

Go on back to Soledad
and wait for me.

- No.

I'll stay right here.

Ross...

- Yeah?

- Be careful.

- I got your message, Vernon.

- I thought you'd come.

- What do you want?

- You filed claim
to a Thousand Springs.

You own it now.

It's all legal, isn't it?

- That's right.

Land and cattle aren't any good
without water, are they?

You spent three whole months
lying, cheating, conniving

to get Payne and Reynolds
to wreck themselves.

You want to know something?

All that land and all those head
of cattle don't mean a thing.

'Cause you've got
to do business with me.

- Oh, no.

You got to do business with me.

I want that title.

- That water belongs
to the people of Soledad,

people who want to build a town,
not wreck it.

- You're gonna sign
that title to me, Haney.

- That's all?

- That's all.

Make up your mind.

- Haney...

- You'll never make it.

[ gunshot ]

- You take Doran.
I'll take the others.

[ gunfire ]

- Get their guns.

- Deputy, come here.

- [ sighs ]

Guess I didn't have time to
leave much of a monument, did I?

- You've got your
monument right here.

- Your father will be
real proud of you, son.

[ exhales ]

If I see him...

I'll...I'll tell him--

[ gasps ]

- You were wrong
back in Arlington, Garvey.

- Wrong about Tom?

- Yeah.

- I'm glad.

- He told me
about Doran's men

being here
in this ghost town.

That's how I knew
Bob Vernon was lying.

Scotty and the boys
decided I needed help.

- That's right, Marshal.

- I'll get a full report
from you later on.

- All right.

Soledad
was his kind of town.

See he gets back there,
will you?

Thanks, Sherry.